None.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to lighting displays or message boards and, more particularly, relates to a sectional electronic alpha-numeric light display system which incorporates modular assemblies which is easily and readily installed and maintained by the provision of quick and easy access to the internally located components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art sign displays were not always designed from the standpoint of easily and readily accomplished installation or maintenance and, at best, ready access was often considered late in the execution of the design. Access often was provided either from the back side or the front side of the sign and then required that a generous number of fasteners, such as screws, nuts, bolts, clips or the like be laboriously removed for separation of layered components and to disassemble the sign for access to the other internal components such as illuminating devices such as incandescent lights or LED""s, circuit boards, power supplies or other such devices. Often displays of larger sizes required that entire large, unwieldy and expansive surrounding frontal framework members be removed to gain access to a small portion of the display, thus requiring the use of extra personnel. Large frontally located screen mesh in front of LED character blocks often proved difficult to properly stretch, to manage, to place and to orient without screen mesh distortion, thus hampering visual acuity. Excessive bulkiness also created a symmetry problem between adjacent LED character block panel assemblies. Addition of adjacent or stacked assemblies often proved difficult with respect to maintaining proper spacing between LED character block panel assemblies, wherein the distance from LED character blocks provided between LED character blocks in each individual LED character block panel assembly was not consistent when comparing LED character block to LED character block spacing of LED character blocks from one LED character block panel to other adjacent or stacked LED character block panel assemblies.
Clearly what is needed is a sectional sign display system which incorporates manageability with respect to installing component size, component symmetry and spacing, modularity and closely aligned LED character block components, which combines with quick and ready accessibility to the layered or other component members for the purpose of quick changeout or other maintenance such as is offered by the present invention, as now described.
The general purpose of the present invention is a sectional electronic alpha-numeric light modular display system, also called the sectional display system, which is constructed of major components incorporating, in general, building blocks of modules, including one or more stackable enclosure cabinets and a plurality of display panels, which are modular, fastened to and residing in the enclosure cabinet(s). Each modular display panel includes side by side, or in the alternative, singular display module/nested frame assemblies, joined by upper and lower framework channels. Each modular display panel has one or more display circuit board module/nested frame assemblies, each having a plurality of LED character blocks, a driver circuit board, sometimes incorporated in a display circuit board module, and inner and outer configured nesting frames surrounding the edges of the display circuit board module. The nesting inner and outer frames capture a fine mesh screen or other alternative filtering materials. The captured fine mesh screen aligns closely to the LED character block to provide best visual acuity and to prevent parallax distortion. Each modular display panel aligns to opposing inner and outer vertically aligned brackets located in the enclosure cabinet and is secured thereto by mating resident quick fastening hardware on the rearward edge of each display panel and on the inner and outer brackets. Access holes are provided through the display panel(s) for actuation of the quick fastening hardware for removal or installation of each modular display panel. The enclosure cabinet also houses a controller card, power supplies and other components. A method and structure is also provided for stacking of or placing side by side of multiple unit sectional displays constructed in accordance with the present invention.
According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system including an enclosure cabinet and one or more modular display panels secured within the enclosure cabinet. Each modular display panel includes an inner and an outer frame, a fine mesh screen or other filtering media closely engaged between the inner and outer frames, display circuit boards, which are modular, having LED character blocks located rearwardly of the fine mesh screen, a driver circuit board, upper and lower framework channels at the rear of the display circuit boards, and quick fastening hardware located and residing on the rearward portion of the upper and lower framework channels. The enclosure cabinet, which receives and accommodates each modular display panel, includes one or more inner and outer opposing and vertically oriented brackets having quick fastening hardware for accommodation of and for securing to the quick fastening hardware of the modular display panel.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system having quick change and installation capabilities.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system which is readily accessible by common tools from the front.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system requiring a minimum of tools for accessing the interior of the display system.
A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system incorporating quick fastening hardware for installation or removal of a modular display panel to or from the surrounding enclosure cabinet.
A still further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system in which the nucleus of components can be removed from the front of an enclosure cabinet.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is component manageability with respect to size provided by incorporation of sectional, panel, and modular construction.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the incorporation of fine mesh screen or other filtering media utilized as small area manageable units.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is close placement of the fine mesh screen or filtering media to LED character blocks to preserve visual acuity and to prevent or minimize parallax distortion.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the incorporation of nested outer frames and inner frames which capture a fine mesh screen or filtering media therebetween.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of one or more horizontal aligned Z-shaped mounting bars and vertically aligned brackets on the rearward area of the sectional display system. Disassembly of the sectional display system is not required to attach the vertically aligned brackets to the rearward area of the sectional display system or to mount the sectional displays to a wall or suitable mounting surface.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention allows simple and straightforward ease of installation of the sectional display system where disassembly of components is not required.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the ability to provide power to and to provide signal interconnecting between multiply-placed or multiply-stacked sectional display systems without disassembly of sectional displays during the mounting procedure.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the incorporation of internally threaded fasteners secured to component members which minimize construction and maintenance functions with respect to time, materials and cost.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the arraying of modular display panels and/or the arraying of sectional display systems to maintain center-to-center distance of LED character blocks consistently throughout the entire height and length of adjacent or stacked modular display panels and/or adjacent or stacked sectional display systems to provide a seamless appearance.
As shown in an alternative embodiment, flush mounted studs replace machine screws and extend in rigid fashion to provide for simpler overall ease of assembly and to present a more aesthetically pleasing display module outer frame.
Having thus set forth distinguishing traits of the present invention, it is one object of the present invention to provide a sectional alpha-numeric or symbol light display system having easily accessible installation and quick change capabilities.
Other objects of the present invention are now set forth.
Other aspects of the quick change display system are incorporated into already required parts, and thus parasitic parts are minimized. The fastening system is captive. That is, it is secured to each modular display panel or other components at all times and will not fall from a modular display panel when the panel is removed from the enclosure cabinet for service. Labor of factory assembly is reduced over conventional methods of modular display panel attachment.